Fire-escape



E. A. COUCH. FIRE ESCAPE.

(No Model.)

gwmull Patented Nov. 14

mm. LITNDGRAFHING wAsmmswu n o UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

EDWIN A. COUQH, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

' FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,684, dated November14, 1893.

Application filed May 22, 1893. Serial No. 474,995- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. COUCH, a citizenof the United States,residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented an Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following isa specification.

Ropes have been made use of and friction clamps by which a person canregulate the descent from a Window or balcony in case of fire, but suchescapes have not been well adapted to prevent injury to such person bycontact with the surface of the building.

In the present invention I employ a ladder upon which two or morepersons, especially children, can stand and hold on firmly While beinglowered, and the rope passes through a tube extending centrally alongthe ladder, and there is a clamp at or near the upper end of the tube bywhich the friction upon the rope can be regulated at will forcontrolling the speed of the ladder as the same descends.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section representing a-part of a buildingand the ladderfire-escape in position for use. Fig. 2 is a front view ofthe ladder. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same. Fig. 4.- is a section inlarger size of a clamp that may be made use of for applying friction tothe rope, and Fig. 5 is a section of said clamp at the line a; m, Fig.4.

The rope A is usually of metal and its upper end is to be firmlysecured, preferably by means of a lag screwB passing into the floor .orother wood-work; and it is to be understood that this rope may pass inany convenient direction out of a window orfrom a balcony or other placeof attachment.

The ladder O is of suitable size and preferably of metal, containingseveral rails or rungs 2 and the side pieces 3, and there are skids 4with, curved or inclined lower ends adapted to glide over the sills orother projections upon the building, as the ladder is lowered, and thereis a tube 5 passing centrally through the ladder and through or behindthe rungs or rails thereof, the parts being firmly connected together inany suitable manner, and at the upper end of the tube 5 there is a clampD acting upon the rope A. This clamp may be of any desired character,but I prefer to make the said clamp as represented in Figs. 4 and 5,with a clamping block 6 concave on its face and resting against theropeand having steady pins 7 passing through the tube, and a screw 8 with ahandle or wheel 9 by means of which the screw is made to press theclamps upon the rope with greater or less force, and thus regulate thefriction and the speed of descent of the ladder-fire-escape upon thefixed rope A. It will be apparent that this rope A should be long enoughto reach a place of safety and that it should be kept coiled inaconvenient manner, so that it can be thrown out and ready for use andthe ladder will always remain in position over the rope so that it canbe placed outside a window in a convenient position for the person tolower himself upon the ladder at the desired speed in reaching the placeof safety.

A strap may be attached to the ladder as at 10 to pass around and securethe person to the ladder.

I claim as my invention- I l. The combination with a fixed rope, of aladder-fireescape having a central tube permanently connected with theladder and through which the rope passes, and a clamp acting upon saidrope to regulate the speed of descent of the fire escape, substantiallyas set forth.

2. The combination with a rope secured at its upper end, of a tubesliding upon such rope, a ladder connected with the tube, and skids atthe back of the ladder adapted to slide against the building as theladder descends,and a clamp acting upon the rope to regulate the speedof movement, substantially as setforth.

Signed by me this 13th day of May, 1893.

E. A. COUCH.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, A. M. OLIVER.

